Betrayed
by Jaededailee
Summary: The unthinkable has happened. Hogwarts wards have fallen. The trio is betrayed. Hermione disappears in a shower of broken glass and sand. Timer Turner story, SSHG AN: not HBP or DH compliant. AU
1. Betrayed

Betrayed

All disclaimers apply

-The unthinkable has happened. Hogwarts wards have fallen. The trio is betrayed. And Hermione disappears in a sparkle of broken glass and sand.

Time turner story - also SSHG so if you don't care for that pairing, you have been warned.

Chapter 1.

Hogwarts had fallen. The wards around the castle had wavered then collapsed in Dumbledore's absence. The chaos was immediate.

Hermione rushed through the Gryffindor common room, shooing and hustling all the 5th years and under into a secret passage that would lead them out into a safe house built expressly for this purpose. It had actually been Hermione's idea that Dumbledore had put into action. The home was deep in the Forbidden forest, and was self sustaining, providing food, water, and whatever else was needed for extended stays. She had based the idea off of the Room of Requirements. The children would be safe until the battle was over.

Gryffindor tower was still secure, Harry and Ron working well with the Gryffindor sect of Dumbledore's Army to keep the Death Eaters at bay. As Hermione ushered the last of the children through the tunnel, she whispered the song incantation she had created to seal the door permanently. The children could not come back through, nor could anything go after them. They would be safe. She breathed a deep sigh of relief before squaring her shoulders and turning to join the fight.

Only the unthinkable happened yet again. As she turned, she came face to face with the business end of Ginny Weasley's wand. Startled, Hermione stumbled back a few steps before regaining her equilibrium. "Ginny?" Hermione asked tentatively, eyeing the red haired girl with trepidation. Had she been imperiod and no one had noticed?

Ginny seemed to read the question in her eyes and let loose a cackling laugh. In the back of Hermione's mind she made a note about how similar she sounded to Bellatrix.

At the sound of the insanity tinged laughter all noise in the common room stopped. Everyone watched with growing horror as one of their own kept Hermione pinned with her wand.

"Do I have everyone's attention now?" Ginny crowed. "Can you believe it Hermione? Me, everyone's darling little Ginny, having control over such a crowd. Not to mention such important people. The Dark Lord shall be proud." Again she cackled.

Hermione's eyes grew wide with horror and she began to backpedal until she hit the stone wall. Darting her eyes to catch Harry's, she saw her horror reflected back at her. Ron's startled screech brought everything back into focus.

"What?! Ginny! You didn't! You…you little bitch!" Ron hollered red faced as he lunged for his sister. A spell seemed to come out of nowhere to knock him off course and rend him unconscious. Ginny simply smirked.

The wards around the tower had fallen due to their inattentiveness. Gryffindor tower was breached.

"Ah, my darling Hermione. Sweet, smart, completely gullible Hermione. Whatever shall you do? Your best friend, your only girlfriend of five years, your secret keeper, has betrayed you! Poetic isn't it? Oh, show me that horrified face again darling! It was so beautiful!" Ginny's face broke out into an insane smile, wide and frightening. Her hair started to stand around her face, her rising power causing it to move and swirl around her. She was beautiful and terrible to behold.

Hermione's mind was frantic, what could she possibly do? Everything was in chaos, Death Eaters flooding into the common room, her friends fighting for their lives as Ginny kept her pinned to the wall. Shock warred with sense, she knew she had to do something, but this was Ginny! Her mind could not seem to wrap around that fact.

"What are you going to do Ginny? You haven't hexed me yet, so I have to assume you have other plans for me." Hermione managed to keep her voice calm and steady as she spoke. That fact seemed to steel her spine and she stood straighter.

Ginny sneered at her. "Yes, you would notice that wouldn't you. As soon as all your little friends are subdued, I'm going to let our junior death eaters have all sorts of fun with you. Oh, only for a few hours or so, because then you are mine. And believe me, you won't survive it." Laughter bubbled up in her throat and she threw her head back and laughed and laughed as Hermione's face dissolved into utter disbelief.

Glancing around the room she saw everyone was either unconscious or restrained. She swallowed hard. Her eyes found Harry's, the pain in them almost overwhelmed her. "I'll be ok." She mouthed to him, not truly believing it but willing him to. And then the death eaters were upon her and all she knew was pain and humiliation. And through it all, she could hear her best friend's insane laughter and horrified crying of Harry Potter.

Hermione had no concept of how much time had passed. In the back of her mind, she knew it couldn't have been more than an hour of two, after all, Ginny had said she had a schedule to keep. Even knowing that fact, Hermione felt as if it had been an eternity since the torture had started: the rape, the humiliation in front of her peers, the unbelievable agony. Currently she was curled up in her tattered clothes, against the windowed wall of the common room. She could feel stray beams of sunlight, and wondered if it was a beautiful day. 'Doesn't seem very fitting' floated a random thought.

A shadow fell across her prone position and cool fingers grasped her wild hair and hauled upwards. Stumbling to her feet amidst the agony of her wounds and the pain of having her hair pulled so harshly, tears stung her eyes yet again. Forcing her swollen eyes to focus of the cause of this new source of pain, she was confronted with Ginny Weasley's malevolent eyes. She shuddered from the hate that leaked out toward her. She knew if she survived whatever Ginny had planned it would be a miracle. Faintly she could hear Harry's wails over the ringing in her ears; hearing him begging Ginny to stop. It made her heart hurt.

Ginny flung her against the windows, and Hermione scrambled to find a purchase to keep her upright. Grasping onto the heavy velour curtains she hung on and once again turned to face her tormentor. Ginny leveled her wand at Hermione while advancing a few steps.

"I hate you so much. I have always hated you. You, who tried to be so perfect, and yet never could, belong. You should have always been an outsider. I should have been in your place! I should have been Harry's best friend and part of your pathetic trio. Not some washed up harpy of a MUDBLOOD! Never doubt that I have hated you ever since I knew you. Good riddance you horrid eye sore!" And with that last shouted word Ginny blasted Hermione through the window and out into the air amidst the screams of her classmates, and Ginny's laughter.

Suddenly jerked out of her free fall, Hermione glanced up to see Ginny once more. She levitated her upwards a bit and Hermione couldn't help the faint tinge of hope that Ginny had come to her senses. At least until she flung her repeatedly into the outer stone wall of the castle. Hermione's ragged screams tore from her throat, until only blood would fill her mouth. She felt most of her bones shatter upon each impact until she knew that she was going to die. And through the haze of unconsciousness she resigned herself to her fate and stopped struggling. Ginny sensing her defeat flung her upwards so she went past the window and released Hermione from her spell.

In that weightless moment when her momentum upwards had stopped but gravity had yet to take hold Hermione felt at peace. With a soft sigh, she spoke the spell that would release her last line of defense. She had created bombs that would blow on her command, and placed them around the common room. They were special and would only hurt those who had the intent to kill. She was banking on the fact that her friends, though probably wanting to hurt Ginny, didn't want to kill her. Hearing the repeated explosions and confused cries, a small smile graced her face. Revenge was sweet. Glancing down, she watched as her time turner that had miraculously survived the repeated bashing into the wall, floated out of her shirt and started to whirl in the breeze. Horror suffused Hermione's mind, but the actually meaning of this action eluded her at the moment. She simply could not get her mind to think past the haze of shock. She started to plummet once again.

Hermione heard a shout as she passed the window once more and saw Ginny lean out amidst the blue flames and shoot a spell out at her, a malevolent purple and black tinged streak of light she didn't recognize. But she was falling fast and the spell missed the mark of her chest, and hit the time turner that was trailing above her. In a spray of glass and sand Hermione vanished.


	2. Arrival

Lily Evans was livid. She stormed down the grassy hill away from Hogwarts, until she rested underneath the comfort of one of the trees by the lake. Huffing with indignation, she stewed in what she was forcing herself to believe was righteous anger. He had called her _that_ name. That horrid name! And he was supposed to be her friend! Again she felt the tide of anger swell inside. Until the thoughts she was trying to suppress made themselves known. The understanding that he had been embarrassed, and knowing Severus as she did, she knew he didn't handle emotions well. She knew he was simply lashing out, and the guilt of allowing that humiliating scene to go on unchecked ate away at her resolve to be angry. She had most likely hurt him more than he had hurt her.

'Poor Severus,' the thought came unbidden, 'He really does have horrid underwear.'

Finally allowing the anger to ebb away, leaving only the cold hollow inside her, Lily glanced around the grounds of Hogwarts. Vaguely she could make out the crowds still surrounding the fighting boys a little ways away from her.

Suddenly she jumped, feeling something wet slide down her head onto her neck. Then another drip following to land on her cheek. Glancing up slightly she saw that the sky was perfectly blue, so, it couldn't just be raining on her under this tree. What was dripping on her? An unexplainable panic started to well inside her, and tentatively she reached up to her cheek to wipe off the wet drop. Glancing down at her fingers with trepidation she saw the slick red of blood coating her forefinger and thumb. Eyes wide with horror, she slowly stepped out from under the tree and turned her head upwards to look above her. There dangling a few feet above her was a hand; a pale, torn looking hand with rivulets of blood coursing down the wrist and palm to pearl and drop from the limp fingers. A horrified shriek tore from her throat and she turned abruptly screaming for help as she ran up the hill she just recently stormed down.

She stumbled along the way, sprawling out on the grass, before climbing back to her feet to continue running. The horror of that hand seemed to be burned into her eyes. She had to get help. Feeling the ground shake underneath her feet, she knew the crowd was storming toward her. Glancing up, she saw James nearing and threw herself into his arms crying and clutching at him as she tried to catch her breath.

"Oh! Oh James it was horrible!" Lily cried, as James pulled her to arms length, looking over her for injuries. He noticed the blood on her face and some splatters along her clothes.

"Lily! Calm down!" James gave her a harsh shake. "Are you alright? You're bleeding!"

Lily looked at him confused. Bleeding? She wasn't hurt, Oh! "No, no this isn't my blood. That's the problem! There in that tree, there is something, a hand! A bloody hand! It was awful James! Just awful!" She cried once again burying herself into his chest.

Severus, forgotten in the confusion, listened avidly to Lily's hysterical words. 'A bloody hand dangling in a tree? What is she on about?' He thought to himself. Quietly he separated himself from the growing crowd and headed down to where he knew Lily had stormed off to. Glancing back up the hill as he neared the tree he noticed several students run off to the castle, most likely to get a teacher and if they were smart Pomfrey.

Reaching the shade of the tree, Severus quickly scanned the ground and noticed what seemed to be a growing spot of damp. Stalking quietly up to it, he crouched down for a closer view. Sure enough, it was blood. Glancing up warily, he spotted what Lily had. What appeared to be a mangled hand dangling out of the branches. He sucked in a harsh breath. From his vantage point, he could see more than just the hand. The tattered cloth and limp limbs of a female was caught up in the branches. Standing upright, he waved his wand to move a few boughs aside and reached up to grasp the arm and leg he was able to see. Pulling somewhat harder than he had meant, the body tumbled loose and plummeted to the ground with a harsh thump. Wincing at the pain that fall had to have caused, and knowing it was his fault, he quickly knelt down and turned the body over onto it's back.

A sudden groan made him suck in another harsh breath and back away slightly. This person was still alive. 'Oh Merlin…'

The harsh landing jarred Hermione out of her unconsciousness. Pain threatened to overwhelm her once again, and she couldn't help the pitiful whimper that escaped her lips. How was she still alive? The fall from the tower surely should have killed her. A soft shuffling at her side caused her to tense up and force her eyes open. The sight of her potions master gave her pause. 'Why was he here? Shouldn't he be fighting? And why did he look so young?' That thought clicked in her head and the image of her time turner exploding in shards of glass and sand rose behind her eyes. 'Ah. That would explain it.'

Severus was frantic. He had no idea what to do, this girl, broken at his knees was still alive! It seemed unbelievable. He knew he should try to let her know she wasn't alone.

"Hello? Girl, can you hear me? Some students have gone to get you some help, so try to hang on a little longer." He choked on his words somewhat as the girl opened her eyes somewhat to focus on his face. He saw the blood pooling around her body and realized she was going to die soon. No one could survive such blood loss. That thought terrified him. If she died he might be blamed. Oh, he was such a fool to come looking for her! She couldn't die just yet!

"Please, just listen to the sound of my voice, if you can focus on that you should be able to stay awake." Severus pleaded quietly. He looked down at her pain glazed face and noticed that her eyes were a lovely shade of cinnamon. He let a crooked smile come to his face as he noticed she seemed to understand his words. He grasped her limp hand and held it to his lap. He was shocked to notice her lips move.

Struggling to speak, Hermione wanted to ask him how old he was so she would know in what time she had come to be. Only it was so difficult to move! She croaked slightly, spilling blood out of her mouth as she opened her lips slightly. Her eyes widened slightly at the horror she saw filling this young Severus' face. He seemed unable to hide his emotions as well as she was used to. Maybe that was something he would grow into. Oh he was talking again. Too bad the ringing in her ears wasn't letting her understand his words. He seemed panicked. She tried to say something again to sooth his worries, she wasn't afraid to die.

Severus was horrified watching her dribble blood out of her mouth. He paled drastically and started to cry for help to come faster, alerting the crowd a little ways away to the fact that he had found the body the bloody hand was attached to. Glancing back down he noticed she was trying to say something again. He leaned down closer to try and shush her, to tell her to be still, when he understood her sighed words. Confusion and shock started to war for dominance on his face. "What?" he uttered staring down at the now unconscious girl.

She had breathed, "I have always loved listening to your voice Severus."

Hermione woke abruptly to the extreme urge to vomit. Her stomach rolled harshly and she tried to curl to her side so she could throw up over the side of whatever she was laying on. Panic suffused her mind when she realized she was restrained. Images of the torture she was wrought with back in Gryffindor tower flew rapidly through her minds eye and she started to struggle in earnest, panic and hysteria completely in control. She couldn't move! She couldn't see! And except for the guttural noises coming from her throat as she tried to cry out, she couldn't speak!

She felt strong hands trying to press her shoulders to stay still against the bed which only caused her to panic more. She was going to throw up and would be unable to expel it! She was going to choke to death! Oh Merlin!

Severus noticed that his hands holding her down were not helping, if the animal noises of pain and panic were any indication so he backed away slightly. He should get the Madam, but he really didn't want to leave the panicked girls bedside. Besides, Dumbledore had told him not to leave until he said he could.

Madam Pomfrey, hearing the commotion, hurried to her ward. "Severus, I see our guest has awakened? Panicked is she? Well of course she is!" Pomfrey bustled about, holding a conversation with herself. "Probably very nauseous and obviously can't move or see or speak. Poor thing." Deftly waving her wand over the struggling body, Madam Pomfrey released the bindings holding the girls head straight. Then, gently unwrapping the bit of gauze covering the girls mouth, lifted her head up all the while crooning soothing words of nonsense to the frightened girl.

"Severus, be a dear and hand me that nausea suppressing potion and the pain potion on the table please?" Pomfrey asked as she gently massaged the girl's neck with one hand. "Come now child, open your mouth for me; I have a few potions to make you feel much more at ease. I promise neither I, nor anyone else here for that matter are going to hurt you."

Inordinately relieved to hear the comforting tones of Poppy Pomfrey, Hermione relaxed completely into the strong hold of the medi-witch. Obeying promptly she opened her mouth and allowed the witch to pour potion after potion into her. The instant relief of her rolling stomach and the pain that clouded her mind was very welcome. A small sigh escaped her lips at the relief.

"Now my dear, you just lay still while I finish my diagnostic and I will let you know why we can't be having you moving, alright?" Waiting for a slight nod from the girl, Pomfrey continued.

"You have been unconscious for about two weeks now, and most of your wounds are healing nicely. I'm afraid we have you wrapped up rather tightly to help set the many bones that were not just broken but shattered. That's why you can't move. However, I think we will be able to remove the wrappings in a day or two. You have amazing will-power my dear. Many a lesser witch or wizard would not have survived what you did. I don't think I need to catalogue your various injuries, as I am sure you know what happened to you…." Pomfrey choked somewhat, remembering the extent of the injuries, and the obvious signs of rape on the young woman's body. "Now, do you think if I take the bindings off your eyes, that you would be willing to tell us a bit about yourself?"

Hermione pursed her lips slightly. 'Us? Who else was there?'

Poppy interpreted that look correctly and went on to explain. "Severus is here with us, and will be for sometime I suppose. He is the one that found you and helped keep you awake until I could arrive. You should be very grateful to him. The Headmaster has appointed him as your guardian and companion until you are able to move about freely." She didn't bother to explain that this was the Headmasters form of punishment for Severus' earlier fight with his golden Gryffindor's. Poppy still didn't believe he had done anything wrong. 'Humph.'

Coming to a decision, Hermione opened her lips slightly to let out a ragged sounding "Alright." startling both her companions.

Beaming, Pomfrey started to unbind Hermione's eyes. "There you go my dear, all healed. Smooth pale skin once again. Hang on one moment and let me dim these candles, don't want to shock you now do we? There we go. Alright, let's see those lovely eyes of yours."

Struggling slightly, Hermione tried to force her eyelids to obey her will. Eyelashes fluttering against her pale cheeks, she finally forced them to crack open and blink quickly to adjust to the dim lighting. Slowly the room began to focus and the blobs of color that were Madam Pomfrey and Severus Snape started to sharpen into their features.

Trying to smile, but only succeeding in a twitch of her lip, she croaked out a "hello."

Pomfrey beamed at her, before lifting Hermione's head once again and pouring a throat soothing potion into her mouth followed by cool water. Sighing her thanks Hermione closed her eyes and savored the relief in her throat.

"Now my dear, tell us your name, so we have something that we can call you by." Poppy asked as she settled herself into a chair next to the bedside. Severus leaned forward slightly in his own chair to regard the girl closely.

Thinking quickly Hermione tried to decide what she should do. If she gave her real name, then things in the future could be irrevocably changed. Then again, she really didn't want the current future to come about. Then again, if she changed things to much, she could cease to exist, or some other even worse future could occur. 'To hell with it,' Hermione thought viciously to herself, 'let the laws of time travel be damned.'

Clearing her throat slightly, she quietly answered. "Hermione, Hermione Granger."


	3. Interrogation

Interrogation

AN: Just to make sure everyone knows, this story is AU and does not include any happenings from HBP and DH.

Chapter 3

"Hermione, Hermione Granger."

Severus focused on her voice, now that it was not strained and hoarse; it had a lovely smoky quality to it. The thought about her voice brought forth the memory of the last time he had spoken to this girl. She had said she loved his voice. Not only that, but she named him. Curious. Severus desperately wanted the medi-witch gone so he could question the little witch.

Madam Pomfrey continued oblivious to Severus' inner thoughts. "And how old are you, Hermione?" She asked politely, quill posed to write down the information on her file.

"I've just turned 19 actually. I was somewhat old for my class." Hermione blushed with embarrassment, feeling suddenly shy.

"And what year are you in school?" Pomfrey continued, looking curiously at the girl who was older than she had originally thought.

"Erm…I'm actually not in school anymore, I graduated early. There were other things that needed my full attention…circumstances and such…" Hermione trailed off. She wasn't sure how much she really wanted to divulge to the medi-witch and Snape. She knew that the Madam Pomfrey in her time at least was an incorrigible gossip, and Snape, well, Snape was Snape. She had to figure out his current loyalties before she decided to give him hers.

"And I don't suppose you would like to tell us a bit about what happened?" Pomfrey asked quietly, casting a sympathetic eye on the bed ridden girl.

Tears welled unbidden in Hermione's eyes. She clenched her jaw and squeezed her hands into fists willing the tears away. She would not cry. She just couldn't. If she did, she was afraid she would never stop. 'Oh Harry! I hope you are alright!'

Severus avidly watched her reaction to the question, until he noticed the half healed wounds of her hands bleeding through the bandages. She had clenched her fists so tightly she had re-split the skin.

"Madam, I think you may need to re-dress her hands. They seem to have bled through.

Poppy startled in her chair, glancing quickly down at Hermione's hands. "Oh dear! You must not tense up! You will only hurt yourself more." Pomfrey tsked as she went to get more bandages.

Severus surprised himself when he reached out to the girl and rested his hand on hers. Hermione's eyes immediately shot open and focused with open shock on Severus' face. His eyes seemed to mirror the feeling. 'What in the bloody blazes am I doing?' Severus' mind shouted at him. Still, he did not remove his hand, but he did look away.

"So you won't clench anymore." Severus muttered, the excuse sounding horribly lame to his own ears. Glancing up at the girl through his curtain of silken black hair he was surprised to see a softening around her features and the slight smile that tilted her lips.

"Thanks." Came her soft reply and he couldn't help the slight twitch of pleasure the shook his hand at the sound of her voice. Not to mention the fact that she took his words at face value, not wanting to embarrass him more. He found himself utterly intrigued by the injured witch.

Poppy soon came bustling back and quickly set Hermione to rights. Severus took his chance to try and be alone with the witch to question her.

"Madam Pomfrey, Dumbledore wanted to know right away when she woke up, and I have been told not to leave, perhaps you could go and fetch him?" Severus asked in silken tones, looking as innocent as he could.

Hermione wasn't fooled; she knew that tone of voice. In Snape speak that tone meant 'I want to do something you won't let me do, so please would you kindly get out of my sight?'

Pomfrey apparently wasn't as up as she was on Snape speak. She praised Severus on being so insightful and thanked him for reminding her before flouncing out of the Hospital wing.

Inwardly Hermione cringed. Snape had turned all his considerable concentration on her. Even in this younger version, it still was enough to shake most people.

Sighing heavily, she decided to just get it over with. It was painfully obvious he wanted to ask her questions. That, however, did not mean she had to answer them. "Go ahead. I know you are dying to interrogate me." Hermione spoke softly with a resigned tint to her words.

Severus was taken aback. 'How had she…she acted as if she knows me, again…' his eyes narrowed.

"Who are you really? Why are you acting so familiar towards me? I know I have never met you before. I think I would remember such an atrocious amount of wild hair." Severus sneered. He figured that was caustic enough to make up for his earlier screw-up with the whole hand thing. However, her response was not what he expected. She laughed. Laughed!

Hermione couldn't help herself. That comment was just so vintage Snape that she couldn't hold it in. It almost felt like coming home. Back in her own time, Severus had been forced to pair with Hermione during the war effort, to combine Arithmancy, Charms, and Potions to try and create an advantage over the enemy. Arithmancy being Hermione's strong suite, Potions his obviously, and they both had a fair hand at Charms. During that time, she had formed an odd sort of friendship with the prickly man, and came to care a good deal about him. However, one of his favorite insults had been about the wildness of her hair. The thought brought a grin to her face as her coughing fit subsided. Laughing apparently wasn't the best thing to do right now.

Severus was so startled when she started to laugh that he simply stared at her gob smacked. Then when she started to cough, he reacted on auto pilot, hand reaching to cup her head and lift while offering a soothing drink of cool water. In the back of his mind he registered that the mass of curls was actually very soft and springy to the touch, not at all like the steel wool he expected them to be. Realizing he was lingering over her and that his fingers were playing with her curls, Severus jumped back as if burned. The small grin on her face told him all he needed to know. His cheeks flamed.

With a slight growl, he threw himself back into his chair ready to spit more vitriol at this irritating witch to try and sooth his ruffled feathers. He _hated_ being off balance, and this little slip of a thing seemed to revel in throwing him such. Not to mention she seemed to know exactly what buttons to push. How did she know him so well?

Taking pity on the boy, since that was what he was, she had to remind herself that this was not her Severus, she decided to change the subject and toss him a hint.

"What is that date today?" Hermione asked with complete innocence, as if it was her right to ask, considering she had been unconscious for so long.

Seeming to think nothing of it, Severus promptly answered. "It's June 3. Exams are going to be coming up soon." That thought had his mind wandering down his mental study guide. Her next question brought him up short and he glanced sharply at her.

"And, by chance, what year is it?" Hermione asked again with complete innocence but her eyes never strayed from his as he narrowed them at her.

"Why would you need to know that? I don't believe that Pomfrey said you have amnesia…" the suspicion was clearly visible on Severus' face. He knew there was something odd about her. And she seemed to be dropping him hints. 'But why? What is she playing at?'

"Come closer, my throat is hurting again, and I would rather whisper." Hermione asked politely, hiding the grin that wanted to escape. Her eyes sparkled with mischief.

Knowing that this wasn't the best idea, but curious all the same, Severus leaned over until his face hovered over hers and his hair curtained them both.

"I knew you Severus Tobias Snape. I knew you very well indeed. However, I suppose I can't transpose you on your older version now can I? I am looking forward to getting to know this young version of you as well." And with that she quickly lifted her face and planted a quick kiss on the stunned face of Severus Snape. Flopping back against the pillows, completely drained from the exertion of lifting her head, she grinned cheekily up at him and winked. She knew she would never have plucked up the courage to do that to her Severus. Not to mention that he would have flayed her alive.

Severus sprung backwards, foot catching on his chair leg, sending him sprawling out onto the floor, just as Dumbledore and Pomfrey walked back into the wing.

Snape let out an impressive string of curses that caused Hermione to giggle and Pomfrey to blush. Dumbledore simply shook his head and sucked on a lemon drop, before bidding Severus to 'sit on his chair like a civilized person and to please stop teaching our new guest such creative language.'

"Hello my dear. How are you feeling? You seem to have been through quite a bit." Dumbledore kindly asked as he sat himself in the chair that Poppy had previously occupied.

Hermione simply nodded. She knew Dumbledore well too. And she knew that the doddering old man act was simply that. An act. She didn't particularly feeling like playing along either.

Dumbledore, sensing that he was not going to get her to lower her guard even the slightest, cleared his throat and sat up a touch straighter. He focused on Hermione's face, and noticed that she refused to look directly into his eyes. Curious. She seemed to know about his _legilimency._

"I hear that your name is Hermione Granger, and that you are 19 years old and no longer in school, is that correct?" Dumbledore spoke with authority, but no unkindly. He also did not look away from her face.

"Yes." Hermione simply replied. If he wanted more answers, he would have to stop asking yes or no questions.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see Snape suppress a smirk. Dumbledore seemed to have noticed too, and Severus quickly wiped his features clear.

Raising an eyebrow at him, Dumbledore turned his considerable attention back to Hermione.

"Where did you go to school?" he asked out of curiosity.

Once again, Hermione was at an impasse. She knew that if she told Dumbledore, then everything would come out. Toying with Snape was one thing. Telling Dumbledore was entirely different. He could be willing to listen to her, and perhaps change things with the knowledge she could give him. Or, he could be strict to the laws of time and even go so far as to kill her here to keep whatever knowledge she had locked away. It was a daunting decision.

"I would rather not say at the moment, sir." Hermione answered truthfully. However, even her non-answer was too much information to a discerning individual. And Dumbledore, not to mention Snape, fit that description well.

Snape started in his chair, the final piece of the puzzle falling into place for him. Dumbledore simply 'hummed' and sucked on another lemon drop.

"You know very well who I am don't you my dear? The way you are acting seems to lead to that fact, curious indeed. Well then, I suppose I shall not dissemble and let you know where you are etcetera. However, you are probably wondering what year it is?" Dumbledore asked the ever present twinkle sparking in his blue eyes.

Hermione allowed a small grin to grace her features, her own eyes lighting up slightly. 'He was going to be ok with her being there, at least for now.'

"Yes Headmaster, I was actually."

"Well, my dear, welcome to June 3, 1976." Dumbledore beamed at her.


End file.
